Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a surgical devices and, more particularly, to surgical forceps for grasping, treating, and/or cutting tissue.
Background of Related Art
A forceps is a plier-like instrument which relies on mechanical action between its jaws to grasp, clamp, and constrict tissue. Electrosurgical forceps utilize both mechanical clamping action and electrical energy to affect hemostasis by heating tissue to coagulate and/or cauterize tissue. Certain surgical procedures require more than simply cauterizing tissue and rely on the unique combination of clamping pressure, precise electrosurgical energy control, and gap distance (i.e., distance between opposing jaw members when closed about tissue) to “seal” tissue. Typically, once tissue is sealed, the surgeon has to accurately sever the tissue along the newly formed tissue seal. Accordingly, many tissue-sealing instruments have been designed which incorporate a knife or blade member which effectively severs the tissue after forming a tissue seal. Alternatively or additionally, energy-based tissue division may be effected.